One of my favorite computer pass times is to head over to the You Tubes and see if I can find something new musically. I really like music. I like playing. I like listening to it, but what I really like.. is to be inspired from it. That inspiration can be found in many forms – oldies but goodies, a horrible musician, that made a good noise at one point, or even an interview of a musician that makes me think of music in a new way.

Usually during this process I find at least one band that caught my ear for whatever reason, so I really try to do this a couple a times per month. The worst is being stuck in a musical rut. I think back to high school and how so much music was ‘new’ to me. Every person I met, every party I would go to, would be a new musical discovery. It’s not because there was more music back then, but I was very open and I wanted to explore. I think it’s good to keep that attitude today.

Anyways, I stumbled upon The Joy Formidable and something about it caught my ear. I like the chaos that was created by their effects. I like the drive of the tune countered by the pop/nice vocal style of Ritzy Bryan. I like that this video (by kexpradio) was shot in a bike shop, etc. They are from North Wales, UK and.. I want to hear more.

So, as you can see, there are some pedals on the floor. Let’s break down Ritzy Bryan’s board for this post:

Line 6 Echo Park Delay
Boss GE-7 Equalizer
Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Boss GE-7 Equalizer
Boss LS-2 Line Selector
Electro-Harmonix Micro POG
Line 6 DM4 Distortion Modeler
Line 6 FM4 Filter Modeler
MXR 10 Band Graphic EQ
Boss PH-3 Phaser
Boss TR-2 Tremolo
Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2+

I saw that she was manipulating two pedals, and I had a hard time seeing what that pedal was below her hand in the photo above, but I was able to capture one frame that shows it. It looks like she’s manipulating a pair of Boss DD-3 Digital Delays. It was also interesting to see that she has a total of 3 equalizers (2 Boss GE-7 and 1 MXR 10 band). I’m guessing she has a lead route and a rhythm route (based on the Boss LS-2). Still not sure what the MXR 10 band is there for. I was unable see the settings on the 10band, but both GE-7 were flat with the exception of the output (so using them as boost maybe?).

Let me know if I missed anything.. or if anything is correct by commenting below! Thanks!

UPDATE
The pedal I identified as a Line 6 Echo Park, might actually be a Line 6 Verbzilla. Additionally, right of the MXR 10 Band EQ is a Boss TU-3 Tuner (not seen in the photos above)

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Today’s pedal line is from Andrew Foster. If you have a pedal line (doesn’t have to be in a board) for your rig, please email me a photo, bio, description of pedals and routing to pedallineeffectsbaycom. Every Friday I’ll showcase a pedal line submission. Make sure you include any links to your band or music page.

The everyman Psychedelic Board

Excellent site for us guitar geeks out there and the world of effects is a vast one! I thought id submit my board as it could be one for people who havent got the money for the lovely boutique effects we all want, but i get some great results with them.

I recently did a gig in a Theatre that is up on my website to listen to using this board throughout. Its the everymans Psychedelic Pedal Board!

Guitarman Tuner:
Tuning although imperative, is something I’ve never understood why people spend £200 on a pedal for. Its not going to sort your terribly set up guitar to stay in tune! This is noise free, extremely cheap, accurate, with a bypass for not annoying the crowd. Job done!

Boss SD1 Super Overdrive:
We all know what this does! Its the old faithful. I bought this in 1995 and have used it ever since. Its a great pedal for various musical genres and emulates that driven amp sound very well. A stage one overdrive for the start of the chain.

Artec Classic Fuzztone:
This thing is strange! Its a germanium pedal that is a real animal to control. It has some quite nasty top end that needs to be tamed but if you know what your doing with it you can get some really weird fuzz sounds like the ones they used for soloing in the 60′s Psychedelia. Not for the lazy guitarist it completely kills the guitars tone and transforms it into something quite strange, but if you like that, then Fuzz it up! Your mind will be expanded!

Digitech Clapton Crossroads:
This pedal is my main distortion. It had some jib from the press saying the acoustic tone, setting wasn’t good enough, don’t use it then! The Distortion and overdrive settings really are authentic and if your careful of the natural “suck” of the distortion, for a guitar tone that emulates a valve amp at the top of its headroom you wont look back. This is one underrated pedal. Its all over my live record (www.andrewfostermusic.co.uk)

Danelectro Cool cat Tremolo:
This little cheap pedal has some gorgeous vintage tremolo tones in it and works great for old skool rock & roll right up to Johnny Marr nuttiness when used in conjunction with an overdrive. Again I’ve had this for years.

Ibanez DE7 Delay:
This is my favourite pedal I’ve ever bought and i swear by it. The range of use is exceptional with all delay tones that you could think of. I prefer and use the vintage echo setting the most as it suits my style of music, but you can get your Edge and Greenwood delays if you wish. Slap back, long Gilmore solos, long repeats its all there with a complimentary feel that doesn’t kill the guitars tone.

Storm Octave….?????
Now this is something i was hoping Effects Bay could shed some light on! Its the strangest Octave I’ve ever heard with a habit of doing what it wants, but what a sound! Apparently its late seventies, but i cant find any info on it. With one a 9v battery and no power socket i haven’t adapted it yet to the board for live use, but if i did everything would sound like Jack White so maybe i wont!

My amps are Vox AC30 vr, Vox AC4 through a 70s Marshall Cab, and a Session Rockette 50.

Many thanks Effects bay keep up the good work!

Andy

Pedal Line Friday – 2/3 – Andrew Foster

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A while back I talked about Steve Albini and his band Shellac playing in my home town (a town he called home as well). The opening act of that show, and for the other west coast dates in 2011, was Helen Money. I didn’t know anything about Helen Money, so I pulled some YouTube clips and was surprised to see it was a solo act, playing a cello with effects and loops. Very interesting. I was very excited to this as well as Shellac.

Alison Chesley who uses the stage name Helen Money plays with an assortment of overdrives, delays and loopers to create a very haunting sound scape. I spoke with her after the show, and we’ve been talking about doing a full on interview here on EffectsBay, so hopefully that will still come together in the near future. I bought her CD “In Tune” after the show and it’s damn good, and would highly recommend picking this up for some great atmospheric instrumental music. Also, it was recorded at Electrical Audio – nuff said.

Why I’m writing about her today is because I came across an interesting video by GearWire where she talks about some of the effects she uses to help her shape her sound. Her pedal board has evolved since this video, but I really liked how she explained why she uses a few of these pedals.

Some of the pedals featured in this video were:

ProCo Rat 2
Boss PS-6 Harmonist
Boss DD-7 Digital Delay
Fulltone Ultimate Octave
Boss RE-20 Space Echo
Boss RC-20 Loop Stations

Alison has also laid cello tracks on albums for Bob Mould and The Broken Social Scene. She is incredibly talented and innovative. If you get a chance, be sure to check out Helen Money!

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Looking over various Pedal Line Friday submissions and many pro pedal board breakdowns, I’ve seen multiple ways to mark and record the settings on pedals. Usually, you see good old masking tape or gaffers tape on the pedals themselves. Sometimes you see mailing labels like Avery labels, etc. Often the tape leaves gunk behind and or tears depending on the age of the tape on the pedal. Avery labels are really hard to remove and can damage your pedals, etc.

I wanted to create something that guitarist could use but address these problems. I went in search of a sticker that sticks… but removes easily. It was a challenge to find something that once applied won’t move or shift on the pedal, but as soon as you want to remove it or replace the label with new setting values, would come off very easily. I believe we found a great solution to this problem.

I also wanted something that looked good. Not just hand drawn circles or simple check marks next to the knobs, etc. like you often see, but something that complimented the pedal nicely.  I created pre-defined formats that could be applied to various pedals including boutique styles, etc.

The label system is super easy. Look at your pedal and note how many knobs and if there is an appropriate label for that manufacturer. For example there is a Boss 4 knob version. You would use a Sharpie (or other permanent marker) and draw a line from the center point out to the edge (ruler makes it tight!). After your settings have been marked on the label remove it from the sheet and apply it to the pedal. If it’s not straight, no worries, it peels off, then re-apply.

If you have an odd-ball pedal, no problem, you can use single knob labels and apply those, or use another style. For example, MXR 3 knob will work for many of the 3 knob boutique pedal enclosures out there.

Another great feature is the ability to set multiple settings. You might need to track multiple settings on a single knob. Color markers could be used to identify the different preset needed.

So you’re thinking of labeling some pedals – how do you get your hands on these? I’m offering a label pack that will get you the following labels:

3 Ibanez 4 knob labels
3 Ibanez 3 knob labels
3 MXR Wide 2 knob labels
3 MXR 1 knob labels
9 MXR 2 knob labels
12 MXR 3 knob labels
9 Boss 4 knob labels
9 Boss 3 knob labels
6 Toggles labels
54 single knob labels

This should cover many of the average boards out there, and still have extra labels in hand. Having extras is the whole point. Next month, you don’t like your previous settings.. peel off the label add a new one. Simple.

You get all 111 stickers for only $9.95 + shipping! You can order by clicking the ‘Buy Now’ below. Shipping will be calculated via PayPal.

Looking forward to seeing some of these labels on upcoming Pedal Line Fridays!

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Today I was super stoked to see a new Rig Rundown featuring Nels Cline of Wilco on PremiereGuitar. I’ve been a fan of Nels from a distance for years, but never really got to learn about his gear until this blog. Coincidentally, I did a pedal board breakdown of his board a while back (you can read it here – Nels Cline – Wilco – Pedal Board), but this video is fantastic. Nels really goes into detail about his guitars, amp and his effects. I really like it when artists go into ‘why’ they like a particular pedal. That kind of insight is very useful when looking at new pedals to purchase or understanding issues you might be having with your current pedals.

Here is the video by PremiereGuitar:

Here is the breakdown of pedals of his main guitar board:

Boss DD-7 Delay
MXR Phase 45
Crazy Tube Circuits Starlight
Crazy Tube Circuits Vyagra Boost
Fulltone ’69 Fuzz
Crowther Audio Hot Cake
Electro-Harmonix Pulsar
Bigfoot FX Magnavibe
Boss Digital Delay (DD-3?)
Boss VB-2 Vibrato
Klon Centaur (gold)
Boss FV500H Expression Pedal
Digitech Whammy
Fulltone Mini Deja Vibe
ZVex Fuzz Factory
Boss CS-3 Compressor
Boss TU-2 Tuner
Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2+ x2

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Today’s pedal line is from Michael Stettes. If you have a pedal line (doesn’t have to be in a board) for your rig, please email me a photo, bio, description of pedals and routing to pedallineeffectsbaycom. Every Friday I’ll showcase a pedal line submission. Make sure you include any links to your band or music page.

I play bass (and do some light synth work) in Sam Cooper & The Sleepwalkers, a Wilco-ish, Sun Kil Moon-y sort of band that I love dearly. We just did a winter EP called “Snow” and you can download the three songs off it for FREE at http://samcoopersolo.bandcamp.com/releases. It includes an original as well as two covers. So if you wanna hear some slackers put their own spin on “Kiss From a Rose” as well as the Christmas classic, “Walking in the Air,” boom, do it. I mean, it’s friggin’ Seal, man. Get some.

The Bass: I’m only using one bass guitar right now–a MIM Fender P-bass that’s been completely gutted, sanded down, and rebuilt to emulate a 60′s P-bass in every way. Electronics have been replaced, frets have been sanded, and it’s been repainted with a nitrocellulose laquer (ReRanch Sonic Blue) with the headstock matched. The coat has started to become a little seafoamy with time, but that’s just fine. Here are a few pics, one with me in it from a gig a little while ago. The pic with the driftwood came from the luthier who sold it to me, and he didn’t include the tugbar, but I wouldn’t have used it anyway. I also put a sizable nick in the headstock that I’m irked about, but like the luthier told me to do when I bought it from him, I’ve been “playing the hell out of it.”

The Board: I use a modified Pedal Pad AXSII. It’s really heavy but it’s super durable. I loved the board but since I bought it used, the carpet wasn’t in the best condition. I ripped it off, painted the bare wood black, and drilled some 12″x12″ aluminum sheets into it. They’re lightweight, and good for adhesive strips of velcro. I’m thinking of modding it further by drilling a handle between the wooden flaps so I can lift both up at once.

The Power: I use a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 and have a Visual Sound 1-Spot plugged into the PP2′s outlet. The only thing I don’t like about the PP2 is the fact that because the barrel connectors are straight, it’s hard to fit them in tight spaces, like on pedals with 9v jacks on the side right next to the jacks. That’s where the 1-spot’s angled connectors come in. I have the PP2 attached with velcro to the underside of one of the flaps, reinforced by super glue. Super-glue is awesome. I’ve noticed some minor noise that I think is likely ground-loop related and cuased by the daisy chain, so I’ll likely get a Voodoo Lab ISO-5 at some point to supplement MAH POWAH.

The Cables: Most of the connections on the board are made using Planet Waves Solderless Pedal Board Cables. I strongly recommend them. Easy to make and use. I have a couple of DiMarzio Patch Cables, an Armor Gold one, and a few cheapies of origins unknown. I use a Monster Rock cable from the guitar to the board. People say Monster is overrated, and that’s probably true, but their Rock cables coil extremely well, look good, and have never given me an issue. From the board to the amp, I use an Armor Gold cable.

Korg Pitchblack Tuner: Nice and bright. Does its job and does it well. The footswitch has gotten a little glitchy over the years and I might repair it soon. I’d prolly get another if I had to replace it.

Boss DF-2 Super Feedbacker & Distortion: Many reviews knock the dirt of this pedal, but I actually dig it. However, I don’t use this as a dirt pedal live. I solely use it for its feedback function in combination with my other pedals to create cool, droney soundscapin’, which is why I don’t mind it being in front of the compressor. I’ve toyed with the idea of getting the new Boss FB-2 Feedbacker/Booster as a replacement, and storing the SF-2 for safekeeping since it’s discontinued. Oh, and I had a guy put a purple LED in mine, because fuck red.

Ashdown Dual Band Compressor: A buddy of mine had this sitting around his house and just gave it to me. I had never messed with a bass compressor pedal before. I was definitely missing out. I almost always leave it on now. It’s got a pretty big footprint, but I love the sound it gives me. Plus, the EQ on it is really powerful.

Fender Sub-Lime Bass Fuzz: What a cool pedal in both looks and sounds. Rockin’ ballsy vintage bass fuzz. Comes with a price though: learning curve, weighs a bit, and some of the controls are under the pedal. I’ve thought about having it rehoused by Walrus Audio and renaming it the “Sub-lemon-al Bass Fuzz” (see what I did there?). Still, I love it. This is my go-to pedal for dirt live. I stack it with the El Oso if I need even more.

Devi Ever U.S. Fuzz: Gated, sputtery doom. Lacks a little low end, but I can adjust the amp for that and it’s good for smooth, synthy, saw-like fuzz. It’s actually off my board now (I had stolen it from my guitarist and he wanted it back, d’oh!) I now have a clone of the U.S. Fuzz that Noisekick FX did for me called the “DEUS,” which means “GOD” in Latin, but also pays tribute to the original: Devi Ever US. The clone has an an additional toggle switch for more low end. I combine it with the Hummingbird for cool pulse sounds.

Heavy Electronics El Oso Bass Distortion: Use this when I want a mostly clean tone with a background of sizzle. Thank you Blend knob! Sayer, the proprietor of Heavy Electronics, is an awesome chappie, and you really can’t go wrong with his pedals. Ever.

Earthquaker Devices Hummingbird: This is essentially a tremolo, but Earthquaker refers to it as a repeat percussion pedal, which is probably more accurate. It’s all chop, can get really fast, and its depth goes all the way to silence. Exceptional pedal.

Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus: While this can definitely add some thickness to the dirt and the drones, this is strictly a placeholder pedal. I will soon be replacing this with the Source Audio Soundblox Bass Envelope Filter. And yes, I’m getting the Hot Hands to go with it. I’m torn on whether or not I should get the “Pro” version of it. If I get a bigger board though, I’ll keep the Cool Cat because I like the spund of chorus on bass, but in that instance, I may replace it with the Tech 21 Bass Boost Chorus.

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay: You see this bad boy everywhere for a reason. Solid, dark, analog delay. I’ve tweaked the internal controls for more modulation.

Line 6 Verbzilla: There are two main things I use this reverb for. The first is the Octo setting for thickening the feedbacker drones and for other shimmery things. The second is the Ducking verb, which is really ideal for bass guitar. It responds to your playing dynamics. The louder you play, the less reverb you hear, so your signal isn’t muddied, and when a note rings out, the verb fades back in. Plus, the Verbzilla has a trails switch that I think is ideal for delay/reverb pedals.

The Amp: Nothing fancy. Just a little Ampeg BA115 Combo.

Thanks for reading! i know I probably included a lot of details you don’t care about, but I personally like reading that kind of stuff, and thought others might as well! Again! Free songs! Seal! http://samcoopersolo.bandcamp.com/releases

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Before I changed professions and ended up talking to computers all day, I use to be a line cook at a very popular Italian restaurant in my home town. I really did like cooking, I wasn’t so much into creating recipes, etc, but I really dug working on the line. There was a great satisfaction being in the TALL weeds of a busy night and me and the A-Team crew would crush the tickets and dominate the night. There was something special working like a team in a stressful busy restaurant.

I remember one night, a fellow cook brought in Fu Manchu‘s “In Search Of…” album and I was blown away. A short time later, I picked up “The Action is Go” and “Eatin’ Dust” albums. I officially became a fan of the band.

In the kitchen there was my friend Jimmy (who is the same Jimmy that does the demos here) as well as another cook that played drums. We started joking around that we should form a Fu Manchu tribute band and play a show or two. The stupid band name ‘!Tra-Bang!’ popped out in the middle of one of our shifts and we started practicing for a gig to lay down some Fu and melt some faces. The gig was awesome and we even laid down a few tracks to document our efforts.

A few years later, Fu Manchu actually played Missoula, which was great to finally see the band up close and personal. I remember being right in front soaking in the fuzz and kick drum.

Fast forward a few more years to today, and I sit here now reading answers to gear questions I sent to Bob Balch about effects. I think that is pretty cool indeed.

Bob Balch is not only in Fu Manchu but also runs PlayThisRiff.com which is a site to learn how to play riffs by heavier bands, and are usually taught by those guitarists themselves. Bob also does lesson videos on the site breaking down scales and techniques. If you’re interested in learning some riffage or working on some heavier solos, etc. that place is a great resource! Additionally, he teaches guitar at North County Guitar Lessons in the San Diego area and offers in house and/or private skype lessons!

So I sent Bob a few questions asking about his latest pedal board below:

Creepy Fingers Creepyface Fuzz
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor
Dunlop GCB-95 Wah
Boss TU-2 Tuner
BBE Soul Vibe Phaser
Electro-Harmonix Memory Man Deluxe w/Hazarai

- Over the years, when I think of Fu Manchu, I think fuzz. What fuzz pedals have been on your board or used in the studio throughout the years?
I started with a regular Fuzz Face. I used that for years. Then I tried a Vintage Tone Project Fuzz. I had one custom made and the dude put my pic on it. Funny. Now I play a Creepy Fingers Creepy Face. I’ve used tons of different ones in the studio, but those are/were my main live ones.

- Currently, I see that you’re using the Creepy Fingers Fuzz. What did Brad Davis do right to the fuzz that makes this *the* fuzz on your board?
It has tons of gain but doesn’t get muddy. And it doesn’t feedback much either. I always wanted to most amount of fuzz with the most clarity.

- Is that Creepy Fingers Fuzz a prototype, or standard issue. Can anyone get that same exact fuzz?
You can get the same, but I have #1!!!!!!!

- Have you always been a germanium type of fuzz dude, or did you dabble in some silicon based transistors in the past?
Rarely. If it sounds good though I’ll play it.

- In my experience, you can get some pretty crazy reaction with a buffer in front of the fuzz. Have you ever explored that?
No I haven’t.

- Have you considered having multiple fuzzes on the board for different tone options?
Yes, but I haven’t yet. I just recently got a pedal board with power. I was going old school with 9volts for years. More pedals in that respect = more crap to worry about in my opinion.

- Why do you prefer the fuzz to be the first pedal in the line?
For a bigger sounding Wah.

- When I look at your board, I like the simplicity. Fuzz, Wah, Delay, Phase. I can see how this is perfect for Fu Manchu. Do you have other projects (or even with PlayThisRiff.com) that you need a board with more variety?
I have been working with tap tempo pedals a lot more with my own stuff. PlayThisRiff.com is mostly other bands showing what they play, so anything goes there.

- After your fuzz, you have the Boss NS-2 noise suppressor. Is there a particular reason why you have that in that location?
If it is on the other side of the wah it takes away a ton of sweep. I learned that the hard way after buying a new wah. Damn!

- In the past you use to ride the MXR Phase 100, but now you’re using the BBE Soul Vibe. What caused you to change? And why did you pick the BBE Soul Vibe?
BBE gave me that, and it sounds killer. I originally used a MXR that I bought off of J from WHITE ZOMBIE. After touring with WHITE ZOMBIE and FU MANCHU that Phaser got phased out. Our singer still plays his MXR though.

- If memory serves me correct, you use to run the phaser through the effects loop. What were the pros/cons of going through the effects loop with the modulation?
It just sounded more intense with the Marshall 2000. I used to play an 800 and it didn’t need the loop.

- Have you ever placed the delay in the effects loop?
Yes. I like it both ways for different reasons.

- You’re currently running the Electro-Harmonix Memory Man w/Hazarai.. a great sounding and feature rich pedal for sure. What other delays were in the line up in the past, and how is this Memory Man superior to those other delays?
I had a MXR carbon copy, and a Boss Digital Delay. I used to have a Washburn Analog too. The Memory Man is by far my favorite. I still discover new sounds on that thing after 1 year of touring with it.

- What amp(s) are you using right now?
Marshall 2000.

- For someone interested in playing heavier music, and wanting to pick up some effects, what would you recommend as a good introduction?
Creepy Fingers!

- Here are some EffectsBay staple questions that I like to ask…If you could only keep one pedal on your board, what pedal would that be? and why? The deserted island question.
Probably the Fuzz in FU MANCHU. Delay otherwise.

- What pedal are you most interested in adding.. something that’s been in the back of the mind, and just waiting for the right reason to pull the trigger on it
I want to get any delay from this link http://bit.ly/y3CHwa

- What pedal on your board do you not like, yet it consistently remains.. and you have no idea why? If any?
None really. They all serve a purpose.

- What pedal on your board, if any, would you like to upgrade or try something different?
Wah for sure. I’ve had it modded before, but I never tried any other ones. Oh wait, Lightning Bolt wah I think it was called. That thing is rare and badass. I used it on the intro to the FU song “Webfoot Witchhat.” Check it out!

Thanks Bob! Make sure you follow PlayThisRiff on Twitter and ‘like’ them on Facebook for daily lessons and news!

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So there has definitely been a lot of talk about Van Halen these days. New album. New tour. Back in the day (we’re talking 8th grade or so) I was a HUGE Van Halen fan (probably like a few of you). I remember making calls about picking up a Kramer guitar. This was WAY before I even held a guitar in my hands for the first time. So I guess, the reason I play guitar today is because of Eddie? Maybe.

I was bummed reading about Eddie’s behavior from Sammy on the last tour (I can’t remember if it was the last tour or not) and seeing some of the few clips where Eddie definitely wasn’t Eddie of old. I really hope for 2012 things are better for him. Yesterday, I saw that Lava Cables posted a photo of Eddie Van Halen’s pedal board from the recent gig at Cafe Wah (which I believe is the first show of their tour on Jan 5th).

Here is the photo that was posted and the breakdown of Eddie Van Halen’s pedals:

Here is the breakdown of pedals

MXR M234 Analog Chorus
Custom Mute Box
Dunlop EVH EVH95 Wah
Boss OC-3 Super Octave
MXR EVH117 EVH Flanger
MXR EVH Phase 90
G-LAB PB-1 Power Supply
6 loop bypass switch
4 loop bypass switch

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I had a chance to speak with the guitarist/vocalist in one of my favorite bands, Arma Secreta (for those of you that aren’t certain on the pronunciation of Secreta – It rhymes with Beretta). Chris Wark is the singer and sole guitarist in the 3 piece band out of Memphis, TN. I remember catching a live performance on YouTube, and that clip sold me right away. Chris plays Travis Bean guitars (I love aluminum neck instruments) and he utilizes live guitar loops to create the signature Arma Secreta sound. Their sound is all about tension, intensity, melody and energy. The definitely have elements of math-rock, which I’m a big fan of, but I only like “math rock” if it maintains melody and emotion.

You can learn more about Arma Secreta from the following links : Arma Secreta BandCamp | Arma Secreta Facebook | Arma Secreta YouTube

Chris Wark is also a cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer in 2003 (26 years old) and radically changed his diet and avoided chemotherapy to overcome the cancer. He has a great blog (chrisbeatcancer.com) which talks about diet for a healthier lifestyle. But what I like about that blog… it’s not preachy or annoying. It’s very informative and realistic, from a musician’s point of view.

Recently, Arma Secreta just released a new album titled – Dependent Lividity and is a fantastic recording. The album that I was super psyched on and had many plays in the office was their last album – A Century’s Remains. Great, great album!

I mentioned that I wanted to do some interviews with musicians and have very gear-centric discussions. I started things off with John Haughm so I’m very pleased to follow that up with Chris Wark. Below is a shot of his pedal board

TC Electronic Polytune Tuner
Boss TR-2 Tremolo
Boss PS-6 Harmonist
Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Harmonic Percolator (Made by Chuck Collins)
Electro Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb (not pictured, older unit)
Line 6 Echo Park Delay (not pictured)
Boss LS-2 Line Selector
Akai Headrush E1
Boss RC-20 Loop Station

- How would you best describe what Arma Secreta is all about?
Clubbin, thuggin, chuggin, huggin, jugglin… but no druggin.

- What pedal is the most crucial to achieving your sound in Arma Secreta?
None of the pedals are “critical” to our sound.  The sound of the band really shaped most by the guitars and amps and they way we play them. The pedals all contribute in small ways and add textures to certain musical sections, which I thinks makes for more interesting music; providing sonic variety and surprises. The Boss Harmonist is responsible for some of the weirder guitar sounds for sure.  I use it to triple my signal adding an octave above and an octave below.  That has become a familiar part of our sound as it makes appearances in many songs. I will say that the Akai Headrush is the most critical to the music we make, as I loop guitar parts often. Many of our songs would be impossible to play without it.

- I see you have an Akai Headrush (older version) and a Boss RC-20 loop station. Do you loop guitar signals with both loopers?
I only loop with the Headrush. It’s very user friendly in a live setting and I’ve been using it for 10+ years. So I’m pretty good at tight loops, which our drummer appreciates. The loop station is only used to trigger pre-recorded and saved samples.

- Do you split the signal to different amps with the Akai?
Nope.

- What are some of the pros and cons with the Akai Headrush?
Pros are: ease of use, it’s built like a tank, never had to replace it. I really like the sound and decay of the tape delay setting on it as well.
Cons for some would be that it only will loop 22 seconds if you plan on looping multiple layers. And it doesn’t save loops. The first time I saw/heard one in action was Ian from Don Cabellero on the “American Don” tour in the late 90′s. Had to have it.

- Are there features that the Akai has that the RC-20 does not.. and vice versa?
The RC-20 has a longer recording time and saves 10 loops, but it’s difficult to make tight loops live. I use it because I own it, but I wouldn’t really recommend it.

- Have you considered picking up the Akai Headrush E2?
Yes, mainly because it’s got a longer recording/looping time. I’ll definitely get one if mine ever dies…

- How are you liking the TC Electronic Polytune?
I love it. It’s amazing.  You can play a six string chord and it tells you which strings are in or out of tune. The screen is large and bright and easy to read onstage.

- Chuck Collins Harmonic Percolator – was that a Steve Albini influence in that purchase?
Yes and like the Travis Bean guitars the scarcity of it was also an attraction.

- How would you describe the Harmonic Percolator to someone unfamiliar with that effect?
A little back story first: Chuck Collins acquired some spare parts from Interfax after they went out of business.  And apparently hacked the schematics from several percolators.  The original circuit boards were glued together for prevent anyone from stealing the circuit design. When I bought mine around 2001 he told me that it was one of the last ones he was going to build because he was basically out of original parts. The Harmonic Percolator is a distortion pedal. Mine has a silicon and a germanium transistor.  There are two faders: volume and distortion. The input jacks are backwards, consistent with the original, and it only takes a battery, which is a pain. At a low distortion setting it produces a broad spectrum fuzz/noise as apposed to a tight buzz.  When the distortion is wide open it produces an incredibly nasty, fat, compressed noise distortion.  There’s a ton of low end and sounds like it’s melting on the inside and frying the guitar signal.  You would think the pedal is literally smoking, which is pretty awesome.  I typically use it on the lower distortion side, on about 5 out of 11, with 11 being wide open of course.  Dialing it down gives individual notes more clarity, but some times I push it full blast.

- Since you and Steve Albini both use Travis Beans and Harmonic Percolators, do you think that pedal compliments Travis Beans in particular or is the Percolator great for other guitars?
Not necessarily, but I do think it sounds best with single coil pickups.

- Have you played around with other delays?
Not really no.  I’ve never been on a “delay quest” to find the best delay pedal on the planet or whatever.

I use the Line 6 Echo Park mostly for short delays (3-4 repeats), which fills out certain picking parts, which I do a lot of. I’m definitely a picker.  That’s the most recent addition to the arsenal. A gearhead/guitar tech buddy of mine who has literally owned every delay pedal ever made swore by it.  It has a lot of delay options, tap tempo, etc.  I really like it a lot.

- What do you primarily use the Boss Delay for.. long repeats? Slap backs? etc.
The DD-3 has one useful function for me: The hold function on infinite delay. It lets you control delay in the same manner you would control sustain on a piano.  As long as you are pressing down on the pedal the delay is on.  When you let up the delay stops. This allows me to reset the delay with each chord change.  I can play a chord and hold the delay while I play another part over it.  I wrote a song called Kilowatt Lake which centers around the function of that pedal.  It’s on our new record Dependent Lividity.

- How are you liking the Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail?
I like the large knob as I adjust the reverb mix with my foot from one part to the next.

- Similar question to the delay, have you tried any other reverbs out there?
It does what I need it to do so I haven’t had any reason to try any others.

- Are you using the Boss LS-2 as a selector between instruments or are you splitting off effects in a loop or switching signals to the amp?
I use it to A/B my amps.  It has several A/B options and a signal boost which is really nice. I use it on “Bypass / A+B” setting.  When the pedal is off and bypassed you hear my Fender Bassman, when I kick it on “A+B” the Sovtek Mig-60 comes in and the Fender signal gets a boost.

- Are there any pedals that your interested in that you’re thinking about picking up?
I recently acquired an Xotic EP Booster, MXR DynaComp, and MXR Boost Line Driver from a buddy that needed cash.  I’m playing around with those right now. I’m definitely interested in broadening my horizons, I know it when I hear it.

- If you could keep one effect from the board, what effect would that be? Your deserted island pedal.
Definitely the Akai Headrush. It’s great songwriting tool.

- Looking at the photo, I noticed the black and red tape on the boxes? What’s the story there?
Years ago I covered all my pedals with electrical tape so no one could tell what I was using.  If someone really wanted to know they had to come up and ask me after the show and I would tell them. A girl came up to me at our record release show and told me my pedal board “sounded amazing” and that she’d seen a lot of them having dated several guitar players. That was definitely the first and probably the last time a girl will ever comment on my pedal board.

- Is that a home brew pedal board and case? What’s the story there?
Yep also made that years ago.  I didn’t want to spend $250 on a large pedal board so I built one with 3/4″ plywood and black spray paint.  It has two tiers which made the second row of pedals easier to get to. I bought a gun case to carry the pedal board in.  Actually I bought the gun case first, then built the pedal board to fit inside it. I think it cost me around $50 bucks total and it’s held up really well.

- When you’re picking up effects, what is the most important factor when buying? Build durability, quality of tone, etc.  
I really have never considered either of those factors.  I’m more interested in what the pedal does and how I can use it.  Yes some pedals color my tone but it’s negligible.  I’m a practical guy and am very content with the pedals I have. Aside from adding a few here and there I really haven’t changed anything out on my board since it was originally assembled.

- I know you use a couple of Travis Beans in Arma Secreta, do you use any other guitars live or for recording?
I play the Travis Bean TB 500 the most, and on the neck pickup exclusively. Nothing sounds like it and it has shaped my playing style to such an extent that I really don’t want to play any other guitar. It has a warm hollow sound that’s also metallic and brittle, which I realize doesn’t make sense at all. And it’s incredibly responsive. I ask, and it delivers.  It’s always funny when other guitar players ask me to play it.  You just can’t play it like any other guitar and so they have no idea what to do with it.  They will fiddle with the pickup positions and the amp eq, but they can’t get it to sound like a normal guitar and invariably put it down confused.  I bought a Dan Armstrong style lucite/aluminum neck guitar built by Electrical Guitar Company in early 2011.  It’s the closest to the TB500 that I’ve heard, but still very different. It’s more of a tight, hard, and focused sound, less articulate and with less individual string clarity. But I like it. I’ve been playing that live along with the TB500.  I also have a TB1000 Artist, Fender Bass VI, a Telecaster, and a Peavey T-60.  They don’t get much attention.

Let’s talk about the amp set up for a bit.
- How did you come about using the Sovtek Mig 60 head?
I played through one in a guitar shop 15 years ago and liked it.  A few years after that I saw one in a pawn shop and bought it.  It’s super loud , great natural distortion, and built to military specs with Russian cold war surplus parts. It’s never failed me ever.

- You mentioned your 70s Fender Bassman Ten was modded to blackface specs. Did you request the modification, or did you pick it up that way.   What does that mod give you over stock Bassman?
I read up on it and I had it modded. The blackface Fenders did not have a master volume, so that is bypassed.  There were some other tweaks involved but I forget what they are now.  That was years ago. I should Google it, but I’m too lazy.  Definitely tonal and overdrive improvement.

- I played with a bass player that used the Hartke 4×10 cabinet and that thing weighed like a tank. How is the 4×12 guitar cab?
It’s never struck me as being particularly heavy, it’s not deep like a bass cab.  That’s another item that sounds super weird. Aluminum guitar speakers sound much more metallic than aluminum bass speakers. I never play it by itself. It is always running in tandem with the Fender.  The Bassman 10 has four 10″ speakers and produces a loosely distorted noisy sparkly “fender tone”.  The Sovtek Mig-60 running through the Hartke 412 produces an EL34 Marshall Plexi-style distortion, it’s creamy with a tight low end and a cold metallic ring in the upper frequencies.  The Fender and Sovtek together make an incredibly huge and complex tonal blend and are critical to the Arma Secreta sound.  I once had a guitar player ask to borrow the Hartke cab at a show after his Marshall cab blew, and he couldn’t figure out the tone. It confused him like a TB 500 would. After much knob turning, he got so frustrated that he went found another cab to play through.  Probably why they don’t make that guitar cabinet anymore. On the plus side, it’s easy to talk people out of borrowing it. Incidentally I bought the Bassman for $75, the Sovtek for $150, and the Hartke cab for $100 bucks about 10 or 11 years ago.

Thanks Chris for the great interview. Now, for those of you wanted a little taste of Arma Secreta.. here is 60 seconds with Arma Secreta, Live From Memphis:

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Today’s pedal line is from Jon and Paul from Mod Gun. If you have a pedal line (doesn’t have to be in a board) for your rig, please email me a photo, bio, description of pedals and routing to pedallineeffectsbaycom. Every Friday I’ll showcase a pedal line submission. Make sure you include any links to your band or music page.

Love your site and would love to be featured on Pedal Line Friday!

Here are the pedal boards we use in the band Mod Gun. We are from the Boston area and gig regularly. Our music is available for free download at modgun.bandcamp.com. Please take it!

The first board is home made from ply wood and carpet. The red boss master switch toggles all of the modulations and time based effects on the second row on and off. I run into a dynacomp before my gain stages on the first row, and there is a second dynacomp outside of the switch’s loop at the end of my signal chain. I run my board through a 77 bassman 100 head with a 2×12 avatar cab loaded with eminence swamp thangs. For guitars I use a Gibson Les Paul 40th Anniversary model and a De Armond Starfire.

The signal chain goes like this
MXR Dynacomp
Guyatone SV-2 Slow Volume
MXR M-109 6 Band Graphic EQ
MXR M-104 Distortion +
MXR M-103 Blue Box
EHX Big Muff
Fulltone Octafuzz
Dunlop Fuzz Face
Boss PSM-5 Power Supply & Master Switch

Out from the switch into:
EHX Deluxe Electric Mistress
EHX Small Clone
MXR M-101 Phase 90
Guyatone MD-3 Micro Digital Delay
Boss DD-6 Digital Delay
Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Boss TR-2 Tremolo
Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner

Back into the switch:
MXR Dynacomp

The second board is our lead guitarist’s Pedal Train Pro. That’s his Fender Custom Shop 1960 Stratocaster. He also uses various other Strats. He runs his board through an Orange Rockerverb 100 into a 4×12. The following pedals run through the front of his amp:

Vox V847 Wah
Xotic EP Booster
Catalinbread Ottava Magus
EHX Pog 2

The rest run through his effects loop:
EHX Little Big Muff
Zvex Fuzz Probe
EHX LPB1
Fulltone Mini Deja Vibe
Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter
Boss TR-2 Tremolo
EHX Memory Toy
EHX Freeze
Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner

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